It's something lots of people here on OSNews have been waiting for. It's something we've talked about, something we've theorised about, and something we've declared as the future for Windows' backwards compatibility - and now it's here, and official. Over a month ago, Microsoft bloggers Rafael Rivera and Paul Thurrott have been briefed by Microsoft on a technology for Windows 7 called Windows XP Mode. Available as a free download for Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate users, it's a fully integrated and licensed copy of Windows XP SP3 in a VirtualPC-based environment, with full "coherence" support. In other words, it's Microsoft's variant of Apple's Classic environment, and it's coming to Windows 7, for free. Near-instant update: The Windows 7 RC will indeed be available publicly on May 5. TechNet/MSDN will get it April 30.

I'll pick a Linux-based solution to those any day, but you're completely wrong when you say "...can be replaced in an environment pretty easy...". The actual cost of converting is almost certainly greater than buying new MS licenses flat out. New/very small businesses which don't have existing infrastructure are another story, but then they're not exactly converting, are they?

True. But if you don't have the Windows tie in then you wouldn't need any of that Microsoft middleware in the first place.

None of MS's middleware is best in class. Its the best to tie in to your existing Windows infrastructure most of the time. But you take Windows and Office out of the equation then that tie in goes away.

But you are right once you are trapped into the Windows Twilight Zone there is nooooo getting out! LOL!